Texas fishing reports
579 reports for Texas — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Redfish and fall trout window opens on the Lower Laguna Madre
Water temperatures are still warm across the lower Texas coast. NOAA CO-OPS station 8779770 read 84.9°F and station 8775237 read 81.7°F in the latest observations. That puts the bay system in a transition phase, with fish still comfortable in the shallows but the first cooling trend close enough to start shifting feeding patterns. A recent bull redfish report in Coastal Angler Magazine, a 28.5 inch fish caught in shallow water in Yankeetown on Oct 5, is a reminder that redfish are working skinny water in the fall. That catch came from Florida's Gulf coast rather than Texas, so treat it as a seasonal pattern and not a local report.
Warm Gulf water keeps the fall bite in transition
Water temperatures along the Galveston-Corpus stretch are still running summer-warm. NOAA CO-OPS station 8771450 read 83.7°F, station 8772471 read 82.2°F and station 8771341 read 81.1°F at about 12:18 PM local time. Warm water like this holds fish comfortable and spread out, and it means the true fall cool-down has not yet reached the bays. Texas Fish & Game Magazine notes that fall can be an overlooked time to work the coast's jetty systems. It says the fishing may not be as consistently productive as late spring and early summer, so anglers should expect to hunt for pockets of activity rather than count on steady action. Saltwater Sportsman describes the fall baitfish run as under way along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts from September into November. Moving bait is the thing to look for right now.
Fall bass settle into the shad-and-creek pattern on Texas lakes
Warm water is still the story across the Texas Gulf Coast plain this week. USGS gauge 08211200 read 81°F with 57.2 cfs of flow at midday, and gauge 0821150305 showed 78°F, so surface temps remain well above what fall bass want. Per Texas Fish & Game Magazine, fall is a transition period for largemouth bass on Texas reservoirs, with shad moving into creeks and coves and bass following. That fits the cooling trend that should be underway as nights lengthen.
Fall bass push into creeks as Hill Country water cools
Fall is a transition period for largemouth bass on Texas reservoirs, and Texas Fish & Game Magazine notes that as water temperatures begin to drop, shad move into creeks and coves and bass often follow. That sets up shallow-water chances, though the same piece points anglers after truly big fish toward main-lake humps and ridges. Our gauge readings this morning show water between 70 and 79°F across the Austin-area sites, with 72°F at USGS gauge 08155500 and 70°F at USGS gauge 08170990. That is still warm, so the fall shift is underway rather than complete.
Fall redfish push and slow-sink trout plugs on the upper Texas coast
Water along the Gulf Coast is still warm for mid-October. NOAA CO-OPS station 8771450 read 84°F at 11:18 UTC, station 8772471 read 83.1°F and station 8771341 read 81.9°F. Readings that warm hold fish in a summer-style pattern, with a cooling trend yet to take hold. Salt Strong (articles) says fall is among the best inshore seasons, with big bull redfish moving into areas most anglers overlook. Coastal Angler Magazine carried a 28.5-inch bull redfish catch from Yankeetown on Oct 5, which shows the same fall bull-red pattern elsewhere on the Gulf. Salt Strong also notes popping corks stay effective for redfish.
Fall bass pattern builds as Texas water cools off
Warm water still defines the Coastal Bend this morning, with the USGS gauge 0821150305 reading 80°F and USGS gauge 08211200 reading 83°F, the second moving 56.5 cfs. That is a gentle flow and warm for mid-October, so fish are likely tied to the coolest, most oxygenated water they can find. Texas Fish & Game Magazine notes that fall is a transition period for largemouth bass on Texas reservoirs. As water temperatures begin to drop, shad move into creeks and coves, and bass often follow, which opens up shallow-water opportunities. Tactical Bassin (blog) also points to October as a prime shallow-water window, with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater all working around subtle cover.
Fall bass pattern builds on East Texas reservoirs
Fall is a transition period for largemouth bass on Texas reservoirs. Per Texas Fish & Game Magazine, shad move into creeks and coves as water cools, and bass often follow, which sets up shallow-water opportunities as well as main-lake humps and ridges for bigger fish. Lake Fork Trophy Bass calls October a great month to be on the water, with cooling weather and quality fish to catch, and notes that hunting season pulls many anglers off the lake. Tactical Bassin points to jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater in shallow water for October bass. A USGS gauge in the Sabine basin (08017044) reads 82°F water, still warm for mid-October.
Fall bass push shallow as Hill Country shad move into creeks
Gauge readings from the past 24 hours put water temperatures between 70 and 83°F across the Austin-area sites, with USGS gauge 08155500 at 72°F and USGS gauge 08170990 at 70°F. That cooler range is the shift that matters this week. Per Texas Fish & Game Magazine, falling water temperatures push shad into creeks and coves, and largemouth bass often follow them. That sets up shallow-water opportunities, while bigger fish can still be found on main-lake humps and ridges. Tactical Bassin makes a similar point for October. Jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater baits fished around shallow cover are working, and the approach is simple enough to fish without electronics.
Fall redfish pattern builds along the Texas Gulf Coast
Water temperatures along the Gulf Coast (Galveston-Corpus) sit in the low-to-mid 80s, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8771450 reading 84.2°F and stations 8771341 and 8772471 both at 82.9°F as of the latest observations. That is still warm for mid-October, but the seasonal shift is underway. Coastal Angler Magazine posted a bull redfish catch from the shallows in early October, a reminder that fall is when redfish become a prime inshore target. Salt Strong (articles) also calls fall one of the best times of year for inshore fishing, with big schools of bull redfish moving into areas many anglers overlook.
Texas catfish and bass settle into early fall patterns
Warm water is still the story across the Coastal Bend this week. USGS gauge 0821150305 reads 87°F and gauge 08211200 reads 85°F, with the latter showing a modest 55.6 cfs. Those are summer-like temperatures for mid-October, so fish are not yet fully on a fall pattern. North Texas Catfish Guide described the end of summer on Eagle Mountain Lake as a grind, with hot water, little wind, and a ghost bite where Channel Catfish barely touch the bait. The guide also noted a lot of small fish to sort through before reaching better keepers, and the first signs of fall were starting to show.
Fall bass bite builds on Toledo Bend ahead of Elite Qualifier
Toledo Bend is about to get attention. B.A.S.S. News reports the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier runs October 21-23 out of Cypress Bend Park, calling the reservoir a giant lake full of giant bass. Largemouth Bass are the draw, and fall is when they feed up as water cools. Lake Fork Trophy Bass, a nearby East Texas fishery, describes October as a great month to catch quality fish, with lighter boat traffic as hunters head to the stands. Tactical Bassin points to jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater in shallow water as an overlooked fall approach.
Warm Gulf water holds as the fall cooldown waits
Water along the Galveston-to-Corpus coast is still running summer warm. NOAA CO-OPS station 8771450 read 84.2°F at 12:30 pm local on October 15, station 8772471 read 82.8°F, and station 8771341 read 81.1°F. That spread of roughly three degrees across the three stations points to the bay-side and pass-side water warming at different rates. It is the temperature profile of an early fall that hasn't broken yet. Salt Strong's recent inshore coverage keeps returning to redfish and snook and to the small details that separate good days from slow ones. Those details are rig versatility, bait presentation and putting the right lure in the right spot at the right time, and they matter most when fish are neither fully fired up nor shut down.